Posted by FROM LAWRENCE NJOKU (ENUGU) on
ALLEGEDLY acting on the orders from the Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ehindero, men of the Nigeria Police yesterday arrested and whisked Anambra politician and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Chris Uba to Abuja.
ALLEGEDLY acting on the orders from the Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ehindero, men of the Nigeria Police yesterday arrested and whisked Anambra politician and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Chris Uba to Abuja.
It was gathered that about 20 heavily-armed plain-clothes and mobile policemen riding in two vehicles, a pick-up van marked Anambra State Police Command and another car, stormed Uba's GRA residence in Enugu at about 11 am yesterday demanding to see him.
Reasons for his arrest were not available as at press time, but sources said it might not be unconnected with today's election in which he is said to be backing a candidate different from his elder brother, Andy Uba, who is the PDP's governorship candidate in the state.
The source alleged that the younger Uba had vowed to ensure that his brother loses in the election following alleged frosty relationship between the two brothers.
Chris Uba was said to have asked the policemen into his premises, when the security men at his compound notified him of their presence.
It was alleged that the security operatives reportedly told him that they were directed by the "Inspector General of Police to invite him to Abuja" but no official reason was given for the invitation. Uba and some of his aides, after making necessary contacts, left with them to the Police Headquarters, Enugu where the State Police Commissioner, Mr. Charles Dawodu, was waiting.
On arrival at the Commissioner's office, Dawodu told Uba that the Inspector-General of Police personally requested that he be brought to Abuja and the team from Anambra State immediately left with the politician for Abuja by road.
But before departing for Abuja, Chris alleged that he was being invited to Abuja by the police apparently to pave the way for his estranged brother, Andy to win the governorship election.
He said he was told that his invitation by the police was to ensure that he was not present in Anambra State during the governorship election and wondered why his brother and his allies who had been claiming to be very popular in the state, be afraid of him even when he had decided to remain quietly at his home in Enugu.
"The Police officers told me that the authorities do not want my presence in Anambra during the election because of fears that Andy Uba will not win if I am around. I am not surprised by this because he, Andy, stole my political structure in Anambra State and he wants to ride on the same structure to become governor. You can see a that the day of reckoning has come and he is now afraid," Chris said.
The PDP stalwart, however, said that he was prepared to answer the Police.
Reacting to the development, Andy Uba's Special Assistant, Media and Strategy, Chuks Akunna, said his boss had no hand in the arrest of Chris.
Akunna, in a statement made available to The Guardian, said the governorship candidate was still trying to know why his brother was arrested when he should be busy canvassing for him in today's election. He stressed that their frosty relationship did not call for such.
"Our attention has been drawn to speculations that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Anambra State , Dr. Andy Uba, MFR, masterminded the arrest of his younger brother, Chief Chris Uba, today by the police. This clarification has become necessary in the light of a barrage of telephone calls from friends, associates and the media suggesting that the arrest may have been devised by Dr. Andy Uba.
"Naturally, Dr. Andy Uba is disturbed by news of his younger brother's arrest by the police and has, in concert with his elder brother, Senator Ugochukwu Uba, been making frantic efforts to secure the release of the younger Uba. Even though we are yet to get the police's official position on the matter, the police may have, in the interest of law and order, drawn a parallel between a purported meeting on Thursday between Chief Chris Uba and Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, who, hiding behind the pillar of immunity, has severally boasted that elections would not hold in Anambra State. It is common knowledge that law enforcement agents have warned that they would deal with anybody or group of persons who attempts to breach the peace or threaten the elections, " Akunna said.